Nepal earthquake: New amateur video shows climbers fearing for their life as avalanche approaches

Nepal earthquake: New Amateur video shows climbers fearing for their life as avalanche approachesIBTimes UK

An amateur video shows the moment mountain climbers at the base camp of Mount Everest in the Himalayas running for cover on Saturday (25 April) as an avalanche triggered by Nepal's earthquake approaches.

The massive avalanche wiped out a swathe of Everest base camp, killing 18 climbers and sherpa mountain guides and injuring more than 60 people.

Paul Devaney and Teodor Johansen, who filmed the video, were on day 25 of a 55-60 day expedition to climb Everest.

They had been in the icefall not far from base camp the previous day for training and were planning to progress up to camp 1 on Saturday night and Sunday (26 April) morning.

Saturday, the day the avalanche struck, was a planned rest day at base camp. Devaney and Johansen, who are now on their way to Kathmandu, said all the people in the video are safe and well.

Climbing is set to reopen on Mount Everest next week after damage caused by the avalanches is repaired. The death toll from Saturday's 7.8 magnitude earthquake has risen to 5,582 and almost 11,200 were injured.

Many people in Nepal have been sleeping outdoors since Saturday's quake, with some 600,000 houses destroyed or damaged and many fearing aftershocks could put them at further risk.

The United Nations said eight million people have been affected by the disaster with at least two million in need of tents, water, food and medicine over the next three months.